


right by your side

by undeliveredtruth



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon, Dotae are so painfully in love I had to do this, Established Relationship, Fluff, In honor of Doyoung's amazing actor debut, M/M, Taeyong is proud of his bf and so are we
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:14:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29611335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undeliveredtruth/pseuds/undeliveredtruth
Summary: Taeyong comes to visit Doyoung at his filming site.
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong
Comments: 13
Kudos: 168





	right by your side

“We’re here,” his manager announces.

Taeyong’s eyes slowly blur open, nodding his head to shake off the sleep weighing his eyelids. Are they already in Busan? Feels like they left ten minutes ago.

“Slept well?”

“Yeah. Sorry for making you drive all the way here and back.”

“No worries, Taeyong-ah. Say hi to Doyoungie for me, alright?”

Doyoung’s eyes are comically wide when they catch sight of Taeyong next to his manager; Taeyong doesn’t hold back his chuckle, putting down some of the holders with coffee and bags of bakery goods he brought. Doyoung doesn’t run over, he’s not that dramatic, but his words are just as breathless as they would be if he did when he comes to Taeyong’s side.

“Hey. What are you doing here?”

“Wanted to see my dongsaeng acting in person,” Taeyong grins at him. Doyoung’s mouth slightly opens in surprise. “Want a coffee?” Taeyong offers, taking one out of the holder he held in his left hand, Doyoung’s unfortunately complicated order amongst Taeyong and his manager's.

“Thank you,” he responds, still breathless, still looking at him. Taeyong discreetly launches an elbow into his side, teasing, breaking him out of it.

As the staff gathers around the hot coffee and bread as a much-needed break from the cold is given, judging by their sighs of relief, Doyoung pulls Taeyong to a tent to the further side of the set, pulling the makeshift door closed.

“You came all the way here?”

“Of course I did, I—“ But his words get interrupted by Doyoung’s mouth pressing on his, cold hands gently cupping Taeyong’s face. Instinctually, Taeyong’s hands fall on Doyoung’s waist, pulling him in for the eager _hello_ kiss he’s been missing for four days now. Almost 100 hours without feeling Doyoung’s lips on his.

They separate with a soft sound—and dive back in, slowly sliding their lips over each other's in equal measure familiar and longing. They’ve been together for long enough that Taeyong no longer feels that itch under his skin to steal the air out of Doyoung at every opportunity, but he doesn’t think this feeling of the right puzzle piece settling in its right spot when they come together will ever disappear.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know. But I wanted to,” Taeyong whispers with a smile, fixing the lapels of Doyoung’s uniform blazer that he accidentally disturbed. “Aren’t you gonna thank me for the coffee?”

“Thank you,” Doyoung quickly whispers. “You show up to my drama filming with bread and coffee for everyone, wearing my ring and my necklace and my clothes... Sorry, I don’t think I really have words.”

“They don’t know it’s your necklace.” Taeyong’s whisper is small. Private. For a bit, before they’ll undoubtedly reveal that little thing too.

“I know. But they know it’s my ring,” Doyoung whispers, tangling his fingers in Taeyong’s and pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. The metal presses into Taeyong’s skin, just enough to know that it’s there.

As if Taeyong would ever forget.

 _Hiding in plain sight,_ Doyoung had seemed to say after he showed up with the pretty red box. But those were not the actual words that slipped out of his mouth when he joined Taeyong on his bed with trembling eyes and even worse trembling hands.

 _Marry me, whenever, I don’t care, ten, twenty, thirty years,_ he had whispered looking into Taeyong’s eyes, the most vulnerable and open, _bare,_ Taeyong had even seen him be—leaving the last of Taeyong’s own glass walls shattered at his feet.

 _Yes, yes, fuck, I’m yours, you know I’m always yours,_ Taeyong had fervently answered, kissing Doyoung with eager lips crashing against his and hands fisted tightly in Doyoung’s navy hoodie to never let him go.

The same one he’s wearing today.

Doyoung seems to be thinking of the same moment with an edge of a nostalgic smile on his face, thumbing at its hood under Taeyong’s padding.

“You’re not jealous, right?”

Taeyong had thought about it this morning when he reached for the hoodie in his suitcase and slipped the ring around his finger, careful with it yet excited that some people would _see._

“No. I know I have nothing to be jealous about. Your manager told me you were a bit stressed, so I wanted to... I guess I just wanted to show you I’m here with you. It’s a big thing, so I want you to know that I support you.”

“Fuck,” the curse slips easily from Doyoung’s lips, his eyes fixed on where their hands are still tangled between their chests. “I love you.”

Doyoung’s personality in a single reply. Taeyong chuckles, leaning up to press his lips against Doyoung’s once again.

Doyoung is a force of nature.

From his comfy chair, tucked into the thick padding he’s glad he had the hindsight to bring, Taeyong observes Doyoung smoothly moving on set, immediately switching into a persona when the cameras roll. As idols, separation is one of the key parts of their lives, the boundaries they put in place to compartmentalize the parts of their personas an essential part of staying sane. Despite his inexperience and the sight of his spine held too straight, Doyoung _shines_. Taeyong giggles with secondhand embarrassment when Doyoung delivers a line for the tenth time with too much feeling and laughs along with the cast when the main actress makes a cute mistake.

For _hours on end_ from his comfy chair, Taeyong feels like he’s watching a movie where _Doyoung_ is the main character pulling everyone into his spell, staff and actors alike. In his chest, his heart blooms with pride, extending past the cold now evening and the trickles of fog leaving his mouth when he laughs. Doyoung is the main character here, to so many people in this moment, as much as he is the co-star in Taeyong’s own story.

But with him, Taeyong doesn’t mind that there’s so much they have to share. One, because he does want everyone to know just how much Doyoung means to him—how buried in his heart he is, how fundamental to his being—even if the nuances have to get brushed over and smoothed out before they get released.

Two, because unlike what he believed a long while previous, nothing external can twist or muddle what they have. Not management, not their career, not their fans, not the public. His and Doyoung’s relationship is not a boat in the middle of the stormy ocean, in danger of crashing and being sent every which way by the turbulent waves.

What they have is the sea itself—unending in your sight, with its up and downs and yet so unfailingly constant. An endless source of comfort in the days that stretch too long and the loud excitement that fills you with joy and puts a genuine smile on your face on the days that keep you going. Refreshingly cold during the day, warm and peaceful during silent nights.

So Taeyong doesn’t mind sharing—because no matter what happens in their story, he knows they will step on the other side together.

“Spacing out?” Doyoung taps his calf with the side of his ankle.

“Mmm,” Taeyong hums. “A bit.”

“What were you thinking about?”

Doyoung—standing in front of him in a uniform so fitting on him, making him look so much younger.

“You,” he grins, chuckling when Doyoung snorts. He looks around, checking who’s in earshot.

“Might... take a bit longer. I’m...”

“Am I distracting you?” Taeyong asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

“As if,” Doyoung bumps his knee on his. “I’m...”

“Hey. Take a breath,” Taeyong reaches out to hold Doyoung’s wrist in his hand. “You’re killing it.”

“You’re just thinking it because it’s you,” Doyoung throws, sharp. It wouldn’t be Taeyong if he didn’t see the undertone under it.

“Maybe. But hey... look at all of them,” Taeyong nods to the staff and the cast, some of which are laughing, some chatting, some engrossed in reviews of the scenes during their short break. “They think you’re killing it for a newbie, and they’re not in love with you.”

Well... maybe some are. Taeyong can’t blame them, to be honest.

“Is that what they’re saying?” Doyoung asks, small. Smaller than himself, a subdued storm.

But Doyoung is a force of nature nonetheless, and Taeyong is one by his side.

“If I had 1,000 won for every time someone _wow_ ed when you were talking since I’ve been here, I could buy everyone Starbucks once again.”

“It’s cause I’m an—“

“It’s 'cause you’re you. Don’t do yourself the disservice of underestimating yourself just because you’re a rookie. You’re already growing, and they’re all proud to see it. They love you.”

Doyoung’s eyes turn back to him. “You too?”

“Especially me.”

A brief flicker of lighting in the middle of the storm—Doyoung’s hand tangles in his before letting go, apparently finding the last part of the comfort he needs.

“I can do this. Okay.”

“Baby, you’re already doing it,” Taeyong grins, supportive, eyes solely on Doyoung. He knows how to travel his meaning to Doyoung with his eyes even when he can’t _show_ the full extent of it, knowing that Doyoung knows how to catch it.

“Will you wait for me?”

“Of course,” Taeyong nods. “I’m coming up to the dorm tonight. We can spend some time.”

Doyoung’s eyes travel down—what he sees, Taeyong doesn’t know, because he’s buried under layers of thick padding and hoodie—but when they come up, Taeyong can see flickers of the burning need that Taeyong also feels in himself, a fire that’s waiting for its fuel to burn brighter.

Patiently.

_“Finally,_ ” Doyoung’s head crashes on the headrest when he clambers in the back of their car after Taeyong. Filming is exhausting, Taeyong knows, and Doyoung’s expression looks bone-deep tired.

“You’ve worked hard,” Taeyong takes his hand between them, playing with the jacket falling over the back of Doyoung’s hand in a cute sweater paw.

“Gotta be back in a couple days, ugh.” 

He knows Doyoung is grateful. But sometimes, even the best things can be exhausting. And that’s okay. 

“I know. But imagine how exciting it will be when it comes out! We’ll all gather to make loving fun out of you,” Taeyong grins, catching the flicker of a smile on Doyoung’s lips as his face turns to make eye contact with Taeyong.

Taeyong has a lot to ask—how was his cast, is he having fun, does he think this is something he wants to do ever again—but it all fades when he sees the sleep pulling at Doyoung’s eyelids. The armrest between their chairs goes up in a silent invitation.

Doyoung takes off his padding, the heating in the car making everything cozy as they merge onto the highway towards Seoul, deeper and deeper into the darkness broken just by the steady on and off of the highway lights. He falls easily with his head onto Taeyong’s lap, facing Taeyong, legs curled into himself on the car seat; Taeyong scoots over to give him as much space as possible, helping spread Doyoung’s padding over him to act as a blanket.

The littlest satisfied hum falls over Doyoung when Taeyong’s hand reaches into his now product-free hair, gently traveling through the strands and caressing over his forehead.

“Thank you,” Doyoung whispers with his eyes closed. _For this. For today. For everything._

Taeyong can tell. Watching the peaceful expression settle over Doyoung’s features, Taeyong can’t help but smooth a finger over his cheekbone.

“Sleep,” Taeyong smiles, returning his hand to Doyoung’s hair before he lets himself be lulled into sleep himself by the low sounds of the highway around them and Doyoung’s steady breathing.

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream about dotae with me on [twt](https://twitter.com/bbysvts) and [cc](https://curiouscat.me/bbysvts) if you want! If you enjoyed it, please drop a thought. :) <


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